“Direct investment and investors in capital markets is high,” he said. “This is not only in Thailand. We expect growth momentum to reach Asia, Asian stocks are up and so the baht is strengthening with regional peers.”

The Thai economy depends significantly on exports, which have been under pressure from the baht’s strength.

In 2017, during which exports increased, the baht strengthened more than 9 percent against the dollar.

On Friday, the baht touched its strongest in 39 months, at 32.14 against the dollar.

The central bank has forecast economic growth of 3.9 percent for 2017 and 2018. Growth in 2016 was 3.2 percent. The 2017 growth numbers will be released next month. (Reporting by Satawasin Staporncharnchai and Aukkarapon Niyomyat; Writing by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Richard Borsuk)